Local Rep Report Jan – March 2020
January – March 2020
During these most challenging of times, I wish you and your families and neighbours safekeeping and good health and positive spirits. I am mightily impressed with local action and support in the area.
Some good news is that Big Local has guaranteed a further £50,000 to each area, bringing the total investment in Allenton to £1,155,000 over the whole programme.
Some useful Big Local resources have been developed in partnership with local areas:
- Developing Potential shows how residents can gain from regeneration and development, rather than lose out to it.
- Community hub handbook is a full and practical guide to the tough task of developing and sustaining such a resident resource for the long term.
- And during the Covid-19 pandemic, some useful guidance on volunteers and safeguarding has been produced by government.
As your Big Local Rep, every three months I share my thoughts on local area progress with you as residents and with the central team managing the national programme. Your comments and thoughts are always welcome.
Priorities and achievements looking back: running things well, the AGM and responding to Covid-19
Running things
The partnership is working well, running a successful AGM and recruiting a new partnership member in February and electing a new chair, Nicola Camp, in March. A big thanks was given to Edith Lang who has been an excellent and tireless chair this last four years. Plan delivery is also going well, with a successful completion of this first year of the three year plan in March. The partnership meets monthly to review plan progress and finances. Minutes are posted on the website. In February, quarterly management reports were approved and these and the service level agreements are posted on the website along with good news stories of local action and change and newsletters. The partnership continues to explore models of shared working and collaboration after Big Local ends.
Doing things
The January issue of the newsletter was widely distributed in hard copy and on the website, highlighting progress across all themes: “it has been an exciting year, with a mixture of ongoing successful provision, one off events and new initiatives in the area.” Building Community Awards gave the runners up prize to St Martin’s community centre partners in “recognition for the great work in transforming a building that is used so much in Allenton that was supported by finance through ABL.”
Key priorities looking ahead: managing the current Covid-19 hiatus within the partnership, being ready to bounce back once the worst is passed, explore future options regarding sustainability.
Key achievements, success factors and insights into what has worked well
The partnership saw a successful conclusion to the first year of this plan, building on success and developing new responses to emerging need, especially relating to children and families. It has adapted swiftly to the lockdown challenge and is well supported by the worker and Local Trusted Organisation.
Benefits locally of support available from Local Trust
Partnership members value contact and input from the wider programme, most receiving the national newsletter. One Big Local resident has been accepted on the Leadership Academy. Allenton Big Local contributed to the Community hub handbook drawing on its much heralded success and vital funding role within the St Martin’s consortium. While Allenton Big Local is sad that BL Connects cannot happen this year, resident members will be queuing up for 2021.
Emerging issues
Allenton Big Local is working well in these most difficult of times and those being funded are in the main able to continue a reframed offer of support to residents they are working with. With the additional funding available of £50,000, the partnership will appraise emerging or changing community need and priorities in the autumn.
